Formation of high and low loops by needling



Iiarch 12, 1957 R. MaGCAFFRAY m [$84,689 FORMATION OF HIGH AND LOW LlooPs BY NEEDLING Filed Sept. 2, 1953 United States Patent 7. FORMATION or HIGH AND. Low LOOPS BY The present invention relates to the production of nfiedleid Pi abt s whish hay hishand W lqcps tively or according to a pattern.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a simple and effective control of the height of loops in needled pile fabric.

A further purpose is to selectively clamp certain pile yarn ends and release other pile yarn ends passing to a gang of needles in order to form loops of different lengths.

A further purpose is to cause the clamped pile yarn ends to slip with respect to the released pile yarn ends on the yarn feed roll or other feeder.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate a few only of the numerous embodiments in which my invention may appear selecting the forms shown from the stand points of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure l is a diagrammatic side elevation of a needling machine to which the invention has been applied.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 showing a variation.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged front view of the needles and fabric feed.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal section of a needled fabric produced according to the invention.

In the drawings like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

Extensive use is being made of pile fabrics made by punching, stitching or needling to force pile yarn through a backing. For the purposes of the present patent application, this procedure is being described as needling, since the pile yarn end is carried through the backing to form the pile by one of a gang of needles having eyes near the point, the yarn being carried through the eyes.

Efforts have been made in the production of pile fabrics to obtain textured effects by creating pile having different heights in the same transverse row of pile. In the :case of needling, this has involved the use of rather complex equipment. By the present invention it is possible to control the height of the pile of an individual pile end by means which are simple, and at the same time reliable and convenient.

In accordance with the invention, each pile end is selectively individually clamped at a position between the source of the pile yarn and the gang of needles. By clamping one end and releasing another end during the reciprocation of the needles, the clamped end will form a relatively low pile loop and the free end will form a relatively high pile loop.

The yarn ends are advanced by a feed, preferably a roll, on which they are capable of slipping. By applying the clamping between the source of pile yarn and the feed, the yarn end which is clamped is caused to slip over the feed, so that it does not advance the same 2,784,689 Ce P ated 1M 1.9157

distance as a pile yarn end which is free during the same advance of the" feed.

"Apluiality of pile yarn ends 20, onefor each needle in the gang of, needles, are withdrawn from a" source of "yarn 215 here shown as a creehand' p ss d throughyarn guides 22 individual to the various endsafnd'then through a series ofclamps 23, one'for"eachya'rnen over a yarnfeetl24, desirably commodtoall yarn ends, to agangiof'iieejdles 25 having eyes 26 near their points through" which the respective yar'n ends pass. The

fne dles jare supported on a needle bar 27 of any well lin liaracte'nand reciprocating: up and down in a ne ecllin g machine 28.

{The backing 3t), suitably a fabric such as burlap,

v h t ably sled. 2 132 3. a 34, w a 's frontofthegahg of needlsaiid after receivin the 'pile, is progressed through suitably driven feed rolls 36, 37 and 38 to a wind-up mechanism, not shown, which receives the finished fabric 40. Each of the clamps 23 is controlled by a pattern control, which in Figure 1 constitutes a jacquard mechanism 41 which individually raises or lowers the ends 42 of clamping levers 43, all of which have common free pivots on a shaft 44. The clamping levers have clamping ends 45 which in their clamping position engage against a clamping bar 46 over which the pile yarn ends 20 all pass.

The feed 24 conveniently consists of yarn guides 47 individual to each yarn end, and feed roll 48 which is intermittently driven in the direction to progress all of the yarn ends forward, and around which all the yarn ends are carried for substantially a half turn, and yarn guides 50 and 51 which are individual to each yarn end and carry the yarn to the respective needle.

While the construction of Figure 1 shows a jacquard, any suitable pattern control may be employed. Figure 2 shows a dobby 52 consisting of a pattern chain 53 carried over suitable sprockets 54 (only one is shown) and having projections 55 of different sizes, the larger of which depress and release the clamp lever .43, and the smaller of which permit the clamp lever to remain clamped under the action of leaf spring 56. The dobby, as well known, advances step by step so as to hold the clamping of a pile yarn end which is to be clamped during the time that the needle reciprocation occurs.

In operation of the device of the invention, the jacquard or dobby operates to release certain clamps and hold the other clamps in tightened position, as in Figure 1. Thus across the entire width of the machine at this particular step of operation, certain pile yarn ends 20 are held by the clamps, and others are free. At this stage the feed roll 48 advances one step, as well known in the art, and those yarn ends which are free correspondingly advance to their needles, and in the following forward stroke of the needles these yarn ends are relatively under lower tension, and do not appreciably rob from the next preceding loops, leaving them as high pile loops. Those pile yarn ends which are clamped, however, slip during the forward feed, and do not advance fully forward, so that at the needles they are under higher tension, and rob yarn from preceding loops, forming lower loops 58. This action occurs even though the loops being formed are held by hooks (not shown) as well known in the art. Thus in the finished fabric, when the loops are upwardly directed, the fabric will have a textured efiect of high and low loops in the same transverse row.

By the cutting of the jacquard cards or the mounting of the projections on the dobby chain, any desired se quence of high and low loops can be obtained on any par ticular pile yarn end, and low loops on one end can be fore claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A yarn feeding apparatus for feeding a plurality of yarns to a tufting machine having a plurality of needles adapted to be simultaneously operated, said yarn feed- 7 ing apparatus adapted to be positioned in feeding relation to said tufting machine and including means adapted to advance the yarns to said plurality of needles, and individually operable means for clamping the individual yarns to arrest the advance of the clamped yarns by said yarn advancing means during the operation of said advancing means and for releasing selected yarns during at least part of the operation of said advancing means.

2. A yarn feeding apparatus of claim 1, in which the means adapted to advance the yarns comprises roll means over which individual yarns can slip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 676,387 Kustner June 11, 1901 876,562 Kleutgen Jan. 14, 1908 1,141,217 Solaini June 1, 1915 1,800,522 Gladish Apr. 14, 1931 1,831,485 Dykeman Nov. 10, 1931 1,863,049 Hermann -d June 14, 1932 1,909,531 Gladish May 16, 1933 1,970,703 Loos Aug. 21, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 33,238 Germany Oct. 1, 188 5 

